They are also credited as a source of the dialectic method used by Socrates.

British Dictionary definitions for Socrates

Socrates

/ˈsɒkrəˌtiːz/

noun

1.

?470–399 bc, Athenian philosopher, whose beliefs are known only through the writings of his pupils Plato and Xenophon. He taught that virtue was based on knowledge, which was attained by a dialectical process that took into account many aspects of a stated hypothesis. He was indicted for impiety and corruption of youth (399) and was condemned to death. He refused to flee and died by drinking hemlock

Note: Socrates said that an oracle of the gods had pronounced him the wisest of all people, because he knew how little he knew.

Note: The Socratic method of teaching proceeds by question and answer as opposed to lecture.

Note: When Socrates was an old man, the citizens of Athens condemned him to death, alleging that he denied the reality of the gods and corrupted the youth of Athens. Socrates calmly drank the poison he was given — hemlock — and died a noble death.